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Two wolves


Some days I need the warmth of connection more than others and when I do it often arrives from unexpected sources: the flight of a cooper hawk low in the sky, a deer’s quiet contemplations, a bluebird on the trail ahead or a loved ones words returned to me.  Today was such a day and I welcomed each offering in turn. 
So when a friend extended a story that had brightened her day, I wasn’t surprised to find my dads oft repeated wisdom contained within...

As a kid I often worried about what to do and who I’d become in the topsy turvy landscape of human experience.  When I asked my dad about it he told me the story of the two wolves and finished saying, "Don't worry about what to do kid, feed the wolf you want to be and the rest will take care of itself.” 

Two wolves 
A member of the community goes to an elder: “I am trying to find my way, but I am struggling with the path and within myself.” The elder explains, “Inside each of us, there are two wolves which fight all the time. One of them is the good wolf (which represents love, peace, hope, kindness, bravery and compassion). The other is the bad wolf (which represents greed, anger, arrogance, resentment, shame and fear). And these two wolves fight all the time.” The member of the community reflects and asks, “If these two fight all the time, then which one wins?” The elder shares, “whichever one you feed.”

Cherokee First Nation Origin

A good reminder for all of us. Feed the wolf you want to be and the rest will take care of itself.

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